


A story told (by the winners of the fight)

by Viktorfell



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Count of Monte Cristo spin, I do not know how to tag, Luz and co are 18, Multi, not beta read we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27913858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viktorfell/pseuds/Viktorfell
Summary: Emperor Belos is close to being overthrown. For several years, a rebel crew has been trying to fight against the tyrant, rallying everyone they can to join their cause, leading their efforts from a place called the Owl House. 18-year-old Luz Noceda has been a thorn to Belos’ side for years, rallying witches of the Boiling Isles for years with the help of the infamous Eda the Owl Lady and other inhabitants of the Owl House. But he was not the only one the human was a problem to.In the shady corner of the tavern in Bonesborough, three witches scheme against the human. Boscha and her two friends have goals of their own where the presence of one certain Luz Noceda is unwanted, and with their heinous plan they intend to get rid of the human... once and for all.This is a story where the Owl House meets the Count of Monte Cristo, written after the season 1 of the Owl House and based on what if Luz was stuck for several years in the Boiling Isles, trying to fight against the Emperor and Belos did have issues fixing the portal.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Boscha, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne/Camila Noceda
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	1. A Story Told

**Author's Note:**

> Oooof. This is my latest project I have been trying to work on whenever possible, however that time has been limited due to work and other IRL responsibilities..  
> But now, I am proud to represent this fanfic to you guys! I am going to upload new chapters here and there, and try to work on this more. It has brought me joy, and I hope you guys like it aswell!  
> Please, if you do like it, leave comments and kudos! And you can find me from viktorfell.tumblr.com too!

Acid rain poured down from the dark sky above the town of Bonesborough, center of the Boiling Isles, realm of witches and magic. It was a late evening, and the people who had been outside, had sought cover from the rain. Many windows of the buildings of Bonesborough began to shine with lights, as residents of the town prepared to stay in for the rest of the evening.  
Most of the town was quiet, but there was one place where loud continuous noises could be heard quite far. It was the local tavern, Titan's Brew, where witches and other creatures would gather for drinks – and an overpriced housing, as everyone liked to call the inn portion of the establishment.  
All the tables around the tavern were filled with people drinking, talking, arguing, laughing and shouting. It was a very popular place, and a perfect place to meet up without drawing too much attention.  
In one of the tables, in the further-most corner from the sight of the front door, sat two young witches with a big mug of apple blood. No one really paid any attention to witches clearly wearing the school uniforms of Hexside School of Magic and Demonics, as sometimes students would come there to buy drinks and spend time. The bartender would not care who came in, as long as they paid. And these witches had bought many drinks in the past, despite their young age.  
“This cannot continue any longer”, one of them, a tall witch from the Potions track, growled. “That rotten outsider simply cannot succeed!”  
“Yet they are close to overthrowing Emperor Belos”, spoke the other, who clearly had the colors of the Bard track on her.  
“Not if I can help it!” The witch who spoke first took a sip from the mug and hit the table with a clenched fist. The Bard track witch flinched. “WE are going to make it sure they will not succeed.”  
The Potions track witch looked around swiftly, the front of her magenta hair swooping around. Her three eyes took a look on every portion of the room.  
Her companion, a shorter girl with brown skin and gray-ish hair, looked around too, to see that everyone around them were preoccupied with their own things. They knew that Titan's Brew was somewhat a safe place to talk whatever, but they did not want extra ears.  
“How do you plan to do that?”  
A wicked grin appeared on the taller witch's pale face.  
“Oh you will see, Skara, you will see...” Suddenly she stood up when someone approached their table. “Ah, there you are. Come, come, I had ordered you a drink!”  
“As charming as ever, aren't you, Boscha?” Another witch from the school of Hexside chuckled and sat down. Her green sleeves and leggings indicating that she was the Plant track, complimented her light green, shoulder-long hair.  
“You know me so well, Amelia”, the tall witch with Potions track colors chuckled. “I am glad you managed to join us, even during your strict work days.”  
“Working as an intern in the Emperor's Castle so close to the graduation keeps my schedules very strict, yes”, Amelia nodded and took a sip from the mug she was offered by Skara. “But I always have time for my old friends. After all, haven't we have been friends for... what, 10 years?”  
“Ever since our parents introduced us to each other”, Boscha nodded. “But do tell us of your time at the Castle.”  
They were all the same age, all around 18 years old, and their graduation from the school of Hexside was only few months away. Getting an internship before graduation was rare, but Amelia was the youngest child of one of the most respected elite families of the Boiling Isles – and the said family also dealt with finances, getting Amelia a chance of the lifetime to learn under the Emperor's Castle's treasurers.  
“Oh, I'm afraid most of the things I do are strictly confidential – but I can say that I might have a good chance for keeping my new position after graduation”, the witch smirked.  
“You must have the brightest future ahead of you of all the Hexside graduates”, Skara said with an admiring tone. "Wish I had something like that..."  
“Things might seem that way, yes – if that Blight does not steal my thunder”, the Plant track witch scoffed into her drink.  
She had meant none other than Amity Blight, youngest child of Odalia and Alador Blight, a very talented witch who had been their friend once, being a child of one of the elite families of the Boiling Isles. Amity Blight, who had turned her back on Boscha's crew to hang around witches totally inferior to her, not to mention with a human who had turned up from nowhere. Amity Blight, who had gained many chances on internships in Emperor's Castle due to her parents' connections.  
“Ah, yes”, Boscha said with an absent smile. “She is quite brilliant.”  
“Of course you would say that”, Amelia huffed. “She is still your friend. But to me, she is an annoying competition.”  
“Well, we did reconcile after some time, and she recognizes me, but we are not exactly friends", Boscha corrected, her smile fading away.  
Amity had in fact started to hang around with misfits, few witches no one else really liked, few years back. Willow Park was originally on Abomination Track and bad with everything, and everyone used to call her "Half-a-Witch Willow". Yet she had turned her reputation around when she changed to Plant track and started to hang out with Amity. Gus Porter was a small boy from Illusion track, and he was automatically an outcast for being friends with Willow, not to mention his fascination towards humans.  
And then there was the human, Luz. Luz who had turned up from nowhere, caused ruckus in the Hexside and turned outcasts (such as Willow, Gus and detention kids Viney, Jerbo and Barkus) into popular kids. Luz had basically started everything, turned Amity against Boscha's crew, against Boscha... And now, 4 years later, Luz and the awful residents of the Owl House, all rebels and outlaws, were close to overthrow Emperor Belos.  
Yet in the last two years, Boscha had seen the always so reserved Amity to lighten up. Maybe it was because her siblings had moved away from the Blight manor, or maybe it was because Luz was her friend, or maybe it had something to do with the rumor that Amity and Luz were, in fact, dating...  
In that time, Amity had once approached Boscha at Hexside, and they had worked through their differences. They used to be friends once, and as years went by, they could be that again.  
They had started talking again, this time with a new, a bit more mature tone, and more respect for each other. Amity had changed to a happier version of herself, and Boscha found it nice when she could make the Blight girl laugh. They would spend time together, but Amity would always excuse herself as Luz came around.  
Boscha frowned. If only that damned Noceda was gone...  
"Yeah, they are not exactly friends because Boscha wants moo-oooore", Skara giggled. Boscha growled, showing her sharp corner teeth, making Skara silence herself.  
"Ugh, good luck", Amelia said and took another sip of apple blood. "I heard a rumor she has a thing going on with that human... Yet not even that rumor is enough for her position in the Castle to falter. I had thought that after Lilith was gone, my dear cousin's chances of being part of Emperor's Coven would be history, but her mother took the place of that damned Clawthorne..."  
Boscha and Skara nodded. They remembered what had happened about 3 years ago, when Lilith Clawthorne, the leader of the Emperor's Coven, had turned out to be a traitor – and how Odalia Blight, Amity's mother, had taken Lilith's place.  
Amity had gotten more opportunities to show her skills in abomination magic than ever before, and she had been spending more time at the Castle – training and working alongside full fledged members of the honored Emperor's Coven.  
"But now", Amelia said, interrupting Boscha's thoughts, "tell me, why did you REALLY ask me here?"  
The witch with three eyes took a sip from her apple blood and then looked at her old friends.  
"Well, my dear friends, we live in interesting times. Emperor Belos has ruled with an iron fist for decades, and now one patchetic human has rallied witches to take control of their own lives. More of them want to live outside of the order of Covens, and everyone does not fear the mighty Emperor as they used to.  
We all have plans for the future that would be in danger if the Emperor was overthrown", Boscha said and looked at Skara. "You want to be Bard Coven leader? Good luck going for that if the human throws over Coven order. And you", she looked at Amelia, "you are already in a good position in the Castle. What if there was no Emperor anymore? You are back to zero.  
In both of your cases, Luz the human is a threat. We must dispose of her."  
"Not just the human, but Amity too", Amelia scoffed. "No matter that she is family, but I would like her to be thrown off of her 'Little Miss Perfect' throne already. Do you have any solution for that? And on that matter", the green haired witch's eyebrow was raised, "what do YOU gain if Luz is out of the picture?"  
Boscha chuckled.  
"Oh do not worry of Amity.... if my plan succeeds, Amity is no threat to you anymore..." The magenta haired witch drank the rest of her drink and slammed the mug against the table with a grin on her face. "She will be all mine."  
"So you are saying that we get rid of Luz... permanently."  
Boscha grinned.  
"At the most simple way of describing it, Amelia, yes."  
Evening was turning into a night, and three girls from three elite families of the Boiling Isles still sat in their corner table in the Titan's Brew tavern, drinking more apple blood while Boscha had unveiled her plan she had been brewing in her mind for months.  
"This is the thing. None of us wants Emperor Belos to lose his throne, and we know that Luz the human is the one rallying people and leads the efforts from the Owl House. And the rumor goes that she is the only one with 'magic' in that wretched house", Boscha did air quotes with her fingers. "If you could call that magic from that pathetic creature."  
"So... how do you propose we change the scene? We kill her?"  
Boscha shook her head.  
"No, no. Death would be too merciful for her! And if Amity ever found out that I was part of anything like that..." She shivered. "But if we took away Luz's dear magic..."  
She took a moment to think. Then she remembered something.  
"We know that Luz came from a realm of humans, through a portal... If we find the portal, we could simply throw her through it – and everything would go back to how things were before she came here. And she would be gone forever – tormented by her own thoughts in her native environment!" Boscha's shoulders shook almost violently as she laughed, totally amused by the thought of Luz trying to do her silly paper runes in the human world, failing at every given point and slowly giving up. "It would be like her prison! It would be the best revenge on that wretched human!"  
"There was a rumor of a portal that the Owl Lady had", Skara said quietly, joining the conversation after being silent for a longer time. "But she had lost it."  
Amelia looked at her mug and tapped her fingers against it, thinking.  
"This is highly confidential... but... the Emperor actually has something of the matter..."  
She almost jumped when she looked up and noticed that Boscha stared at her with very intense glare.  
"Go on", the magenta haired tall girl said, not taking her eyes out of Amelia.  
"Well..." Amelia collected her thoughts again. "Emperor Belos actually has the said portal... or the remains of it. The rumors in the Castle go that she acquired the portal years ago, but has been trying to reconstruct the mechanism with some kind of technology. It has been a long process and only the staff of the Castle know about this, and the fact that it has been just very recently been activated for the first time. And only to send scouts..."  
Boscha jumped up and slammed her hands on the table.  
"That is our solution!"  
The whole tavern went quiet. The three eyed witch coughed and sat down. She laughed a fake laugh, the kind that girls their age would when they talk of something insignificant, like makeup, Penstagram or significant others. Skara and Amelia caught on and did the same 'laugh'.  
Other tavern customers just sighed and continued with their own things. Just a bunch of girls. No big deal.  
"Right", Boscha said in her usual tone after the noise in the tavern was back to normal, "we need to use that portal. Any suggestions how?"  
"Just kidnap the girl and force her through", Amelia shrugged.  
"No, no", Boscha said again, with a wicked smile. "We need to be very discreet. It has to be a grand scheme, good enough to be beneficial to all our parties." She took a moment to think. It was like she had not thought everything through. "We have to lure Luz to the portal and just push her through, make sure she does not come back. But to everyone we would inform that she had gotten a fatal injury and then fell through. Then no one, not Emperor, not Amity, no one, would concern themselves further with her.  
You two should be in the active, public part in this mission", she pointed to Skara and Amelia. "Your goals are to gain powerful positions only the Emperor can bestow upon you. That is why we can let him know of your efforts to dispose of the wretched human."  
"Well... I could quite possibly make sure that no one is there to witness our... endeavors", Amelia smirked.  
"If we found out a way to do it, I can be the one to lure Luz to the place the portal is located", Skara said. Then she hesitated. "Then again she has been rather nice. It would be such a harsh fate what we are going to do..."  
"She has deserved it!" Boscha raised her voice. "She does not have the right to change everything here, and most importantly she does not even belong here! If you want your goal, you are in this plan!"  
"As it is so important to you", Amelia interrupted, "why don't you just go and do everything yourself, Boscha?"  
The tall witch with magenta hair looked at her friend.  
"Because my goal in our plan needs me to be more discreet. I have already gained Amity's trust, so I can gain Luz's too. I can, somehow, time it that Amity and Luz's team say in the Owl House while Skara lures Luz in the Castle, so nothing can interfere with our plan. Meanwhile, you two carry on with our plan."  
"What if they start to think something is wrong?" Amelia asked.  
Boscha gave herself another moment to think.  
"Good point, my dear friend. For that, Skara will text to my scroll that I will be sorry for betraying you two for the witches of the Owl House, and I will try to rush to prevent you from hurting Luz... I will tell Amity to stay safe and I will go to help Luz – only to return back to her with the news of Luz's demise..." She cackled. "Then everything will go back to normal!"  
"So your plan is to fake that you turned your back on us?"  
Boscha took a long gulp from her apple blood, placed the mug back on the table and gave a wicked smirk to her friends.  
"Precisely, Skara. What everyone will know of this day, is that you two would want Luz out of the picture, and I was against it because of Amity."  
"You have turned soft, that is for sure", Amelia scoffed.  
Boscha laughed and picked up her mug again.  
"And that is what the Boiling Isles will know! To the plan!"  
They clinked their mugs together, a few drops of the apple blood spilling to the table below.  
"To the plan!"


	2. The First Step Into The Plan

Boscha wasn't the only one to notice that Amity Blight, previously dubbed "Little Miss Perfect" in the halls of Hexside, was in fact getting more open and positive over the past years. It surprised quite a lot of people.  
When everyone knew of the ruthless fame of the Blight family and even more ruthless and high-and-mighty attitude of Odalia and Alador Blight, parents of Amity Blight, not many knew how strict they really were to their children. It was said that there was a seed of truth in every rumor, and rumors told the story that Blight parents actually used violent techniques to make their children behave.  
It was not exactly false information. In the past, Hexside had seen some evidence to it when the older siblings of Amity, the twins Edric and Emira were younger and went to school with gloom faces, some students overhearing them talking about not wanting to spend another day getting punished. And from other occasions, other students had heard the twins talking to each other about an empty room where they had to spend ages without food or peaceful rest.  
Putting those and some other pieces together, Hexside was convinced that the Blight parents used harsh ways to punishment. But when some kids would talk about it when Amity was nearby, or even, Titan forbid, ASK about the parenting methods of the Blights from her, the youngest of the Blight family would give them the scariest look only the head student of Hexside and former captain of the Grudgby team could give. No one wanted to mess around with her.  
Boscha knew of the rumors, and during the time they were friends, she knew that Amity had given her all to studying, possibly because Blights did not exactly tolerate being average. Or at least Odalia and Alador Blight didn't – Alador's younger sister, who was Amelia's mother, was much milder in those manners.  
That is why she was very surprised, along the other students of Hexside, how Amity actually started to be more happy in the recent years, acting more kind to others, greeting students when coming to school and giving a friendly smile...  
She was happily surprised when Amity had greeted her too when passing her locker. First she had been startled, but then had ran after her and trying to strike a conversation. Both had been very awkward, since their falling-out had been rather painful and messy, but they had worked through it.  
And that's when their interactions in the school had started to be pleasant. Boscha would have greeted Amity first, or Amity had come to Boscha. They changed their opinions on some Penstagram pictures, or talked about some assignments in the school. Boscha would make a joke and smile when Amity would laugh. She would find herself looking at the green haired girl with a smile, and see a new kind of light in the Blight's eyes, something she had not seen when they were younger.  
Yet it would be totally different everytime Amity saw Luz. Amity's collected yet kind appearance changed once she spotted the human from a crowd, a new kind of warmth framing her features. Everytime Boscha would have to say goodbye to the green haired witch who is already greeting the human.  
And that is something she had to endure every time. Being the one Amity hanged out with when Luz was not in sight. She sighed and raised her hand to lean against her locker.  
"Hey, Boscha!"  
The sudden voice startled her, and the hand she tried to press against the metal of the locker, slipped and she fell down to the floor.  
"Uhhh... hey, Amity", she said and tried to get back up.  
Amity helped her to get back to her feet.  
"Oh Titan, are you alright?" the green haired witch asked with concern.  
Boscha felt a red tone rising to her cheeks – she felt good when Amity worried about her. She took a moment to look at her friend. At the age of 18, Amity had grown taller, but was still shorter than ever so athletic Boscha. She had let her hair grow longer, slightly past shoulder-length, some of her light green locks resting on her shoulders. She still dyed her hair, yet did not mind the streaks of her natural brown hair showing from the roots.  
Then she coughed and brushed traces of dust and dirt from her school uniform.  
"Never better", she said, giving a smile to the Blight. "How are you? Did you catch that show on the orb?"  
"The one you recommended? Yes! It was fantastic, it reminded me much of Azura!" Amity answered with a huge smile. "Thank you for telling me about it!"  
Boscha laughed.  
"It is amusing how you still like that book series. But that is why I told you about the show, I knew you would like it."  
"Oh I did! The first episodes were very well made, and the setting was similar to Azura's, but with some different twists, like the younger main characters and thrown into an odd world, far from home", Amity said and started to count some of her favorite moments in those episodes.  
Boscha grinned at her friend's enthusiasm and leaned against the locker, fixing her hairbun. Ever since she was young, she would wear her long hair up in a bun, but letting some of the hair in the front frame her face. Why to change perfection, she always thought, and never wore it differently. She wondered if Amity thought the same way, as the young Blight never did let go of her own style of tying up the top of her hair.  
"You know, a new episode comes out today... maybe it could be even more enjoyable to watch it with someone..."  
Amity gasped.  
"That is true! I cannot wait to ask Luz!"  
"Luz?" Boscha said with a neutral expression, trying to hide her disappointment.  
"Luz is even bigger Azura fan than I am", Amity giggled. "She used to beat me everytime in Azura trivia.."  
"But..."  
"Amity!" a voice called from the other end of the hallway.  
Amity turned her head to look at Luz, walking towards them with a pile of books and all the track colors in her leggings and sleeves. The green haired girl smiled.  
"Oh, Luz is here! I will see you later, Boscha! Let's scroll later!"  
"But..." Boscha repeated and screamed when the teeth in her locker tried to eat her uniform's hood. "That rotten human!" she grunted after reclaiming her hood and headed towards the classroom.

Near the classroom, Skara greeted her.  
"Oh... what happened? You look... more annoyed than usually", the short witch pointed out.  
Boscha realized she was still frowning.  
"It.. it's nothing", she grunted. "Luz just interrupted my talk with Amity."  
Skara nodded.  
"That explains it. I thought you just had hangover symptoms from last night's tavern..."  
"Please", Boscha huffed, "apple blood never gets into my head that much." Then she looked around and then lowered her voice. "Are you still on board with the plan?"  
Skara hesitated, but then nodded.  
"Are we putting the plan forward soon?"  
A group of students passed by, and Boscha shushed Skara. They stayed quiet for a moment.  
"First I would need the trust of the rebels", Boscha said, breaking the silence. She frowned. "That is not going to be easy – I almost lost my cool with Luz already."  
"Can't we go forward with the plan without that?"  
"Not if I want my goal", the tall witch with magenta hair said and growled when seeing a familiar group of students walking closer – Amity, Luz, Willow and Gus.  
In the years living in the Boiling Isles, Luz had grown taller. Almost as tall as Boscha, in fact. She stood as the tallest of her friend group, keeping her long brown hair under a beanie. Most of her hair, anyway, except for some of the hair in front. It was rather similar to how Boscha used to and still wore her hair, most of it up (in Boscha's case, as a bun, but for Luz it was the hat), and some of the hair let to be free in the front of the face.  
Luz walked forward like she was skipping, full of life and energy. She was surprisingly upbeat for someone stuck in a place where there were no other humans. 'Not too long though', Boscha thought to herself.  
Following the human there was Gus from the Illusion track. Older students remembered him as a short genius kid from his track, hopping from the baby class into proper Hexside classes earlier than most. He had gone through quite a growth spurt, and rivalled Luz with his height. He followed Luz, most likely talking about some human things, judging from the way he nodded with serious face and kept pulling his short facial hair.  
Willow and Amity followed them, chuckling at their enthusiasm. Willow hadn't changed much over the years, but she wore rectangular eyeglasses now. She was the shortest of her friend group, having to look up to Luz and Gus now. She was telling something to Amity, when Boscha turned to look at Skara.  
"Push me", Boscha whispered.  
"Huh?" Skara replied, confused.  
"Time to put the plan into works", Boscha said with a low voice. "This is the perfect moment to show Amity. That I would be on their side. So when you hear me say 'Amity', that is your cue to push me. Knock me off balance. To make it clear that we are having a falling out."  
"We are really going that far, huh", Skara said with an odd tone.  
"You want your glorious future? We need to act", Boscha snarled, and immediatelly regretted being so harsh.  
"Ok. Gotcha", Skara just replied, with the odd tone in her voice getting more audible. Boscha wasn't sure why.  
A giggle from Amity's direction took the three eyed witch out of her ponderings. She glanced at Amity, then turned back to look at Skara, while hoping that her acting would be good enough.  
"Listen", Boscha said with slightly louder voice than usual, "all I am saying is that they are not that bad... they do not deserve all the awful things you guys talk about them."  
"You usually join those talks", Skara said back at her and looked a bit angry.  
"I know I have, but..." Boscha tried to think of something that would sound sincere. "They are actually rather skillful, and the whole school likes them. Luz can be quite alright, and Amity..."  
It took Skara a few seconds to register that this was the moment to act, but when Boscha furrowed her brow, she mimicked the facial expression and pushed the three eyed witch. Boscha lost her balance and fell on her back to the hallway floor, knocking the back of her head against the stone floor.  
"And all I am going to say is that you have gone too soft", Skara growled and turned her back on her old friend.  
Seeing this, Amity rushed over to help Boscha, making sure she was not injured, while Luz called out to Skara.  
"Hey, what happened? I thought you two were friends!"  
While Amity helped Boscha to a sitting position, they could hear Skara speak to them with a trembling voice.  
"Not anymore. You chose your side, Boscha... do not come back to me."  
And just like that, Skara walked away.  
Luz kneeled down next to Boscha and Amity. With her help, they managed to get Boscha back on her feet.  
"What was that?" Amity asked and kept checking on Boscha, touching the back of her head. "Did you hurt yourself?"  
Boscha winced when Amity touched her head.  
"Did you hurt yourself?" the green haired witch repeated with concern in her voice.  
"I... am not sure", she replied.  
"I will go take Boscha to the infirmary, you guys go on without me", Amity said to her friends. Then she took three eyed witch's arm, locking it with hers and started to walk them towards the wing where the infirmary was located. "Come on now, Boscha."  
Being gently guided to the infirmary by Amity was all worth some bruises. Yet the biggest damage she had gotten was by Skara's voice. There was something wrong – would she back off on the plan and reveal it to others? Was she angry? Did Boscha push her too much?  
Slight shiver went through her body. Amity noticed it.  
"Can you make it?" the young Blight asked.  
"Yeah..."  
"What was all that about back there? With Skara?"  
Boscha stayed silent for a moment.  
"Boscha, you can tell me", Amity spoke again, this time with a very soft voice. "Please, let me help."  
The gentleness in those words made Boscha blush ever so slightly. She coughed to clear her throat.  
"I... tried to tell her that your little friend group is not that bad... That our way of talking about you guys is uncalled for... That you guys are rather good witches, even Luz."  
Amity looked at her with a surprised look on her face.  
"I... thought you did not like them."  
"I might have had my issues with them because they took you away from me", Boscha sighed. "Well, not took really, as you started to hang with them out of your own free will.. But you get the point. It took me ages to stop hating them for that, but I was young and stupid then", she said and looked back at her old friend. "They are skilled, and kind to everyone – just like you. And I was glad that you decided to forgive me and wanted to spend time together again -"  
"Boscha..." Amity interrupted.  
The three eyed witch stiffened. Did she overdo her explanations?  
"You know why I started to be friends with you, Skara and the rest?" Blight asked.  
Boscha tried to think of an answer, but Amity continued:  
"It was because our parents thought you guys were better company for me than Willow. She was my friend ever since we were really small, but then my parents told me to stay away from her. For them, class means EVERYTHING", the green haired witch said with a bitter tone. "They threatened to ruin Willow's life if I did not cut my ties with her. I tried to put her out of my mind, even followed your lead to bully her, but nothing felt right..."  
Boscha did not like what she was hearing.  
"So you pretended when we were friends?" she asked and stopped walking. She tried to free her arm from Amity's.  
But Amity did not let go.  
"At the start, yes", the young Blight said. Boscha felt a sting in her heart. "But... I did like spending time with you when you were not bullying others. And I enjoy the time we are spending these days even more."  
Boscha looked at Amity and her warm smile. A slight blush creeped on her face again.  
"I... I'll admit, bullying Willow was not the best possible move. And probably she will never forgive me for that. Neither will Gus or Luz. But", she said, trying to sound sincere when she really was not, "I am going to try. You have come to show me that there is something good with every witch." It felt easier to tell those things when knowing that Amity would want to hear them. Boscha sighed. "I tried telling that to Skara, but.. it did not go well."  
Amity prompted Boscha to walk again.  
"You really have changed."  
The three eyed witch gave her friend a smug smile.  
"All thanks to you, Blight."  
Amity giggled.

When the two girls arrived to their destination, the witch overlooking the school infirmary gestured Boscha to sit down and did their inspection.  
"I am not seeing any radical injuries", the witch, a redhead woman probably in their 30s, stated. "However, there is a possibility you might have gotten some kind of concussion. Someone has to look after you until tomorrow, wake you up a few times during the night, and if you do not have any severe symptoms, you will be just fine."  
Another student walked into the infirmary, and the witch excused herself. Boscha sighed.  
"At least it is not that bad", Amity tried to comfort her. "Do you have someone to look after you at home?"  
"Not sure", Boscha replied, getting very aware of the pain throbbing at the back of her head. "You know how my parents can be."  
Seeing Amity nod rather grimly made Boscha relieved. She did not want to start reminding her old friend about her distant parents, and how they, like Amity's parents, expected only the best from their offspring. Being from two elite families of the Boiling Isles, both Boscha and Amity knew the pressure. Oh the harsh, burning pressure.  
After a moment of silence, Boscha stood up.  
"Well, it is useless to stay here. I have no classes after the one already in session, so I think I will leave."  
They walked out of the infirmary, but before Boscha could say goodbye to her friend, Amity stopped her.  
"She said you need to be looked after", the Blight said. "Maybe you would want to have a sleepover at my place?"  
"Really?"  
"Well, I wouldn't want you, my friend, to be alone without any help, and you DID get hurt by standing up for me and my friends", Amity said with a smile.  
It caught Boscha by surprise, and she stood there for a moment, watching the young Blight whose smile faded away when she did not reply.  
"If... if you don't want to, you could just say so", the green haired witch said, furrowing her brow and looking at the other side of the hallway. "In that case, I will just leave to my class..."  
"Don't", Boscha said, quickly grabbing Amity's hand. "I mean... I would like that. You are very kind to ask, and I accept the invitation."  
Amity's smile came back, and the Blight gestured towards the classrooms.  
"In that case, I will just go get my things from my locker and inform my friends that we are leaving. It will be a moment before the ride comes anyway. Are you feeling alright to follow me?"  
Boscha nodded and followed her friend. Soon the school bell screamed, and they were greeted by Luz, Willow and Gus while Amity was still gathering her things at her locker.

Amity explained the situation to Luz and company. The human looked at the three eyed witch with a surprised look on her face.  
"Are you feeling alright? A concussion can be very subtle and then it can suddenly hit", Luz said and chuckled. "I should know, I have gotten quite a few in my life."  
"I am the Grudgby captain of Hexside, I have gotten many injuries in my years", Boscha scoffed out of habit, then looked at Amity's confused face and grimaced. "I mean... yeah, I am well aware. Sorry. The pain and aches are getting stronger and making me irritated."  
"If those make you irritated, then you must have them all the time", Willow muttered. Amity shot an angry look at her friend from the plant track.  
"I invited Boscha over to my home for the night so I can watch after her", Amity said to her friends, but turning to look at Luz. "It is the least I can do as she stood up for all of us to Skara."  
"And it is the least you can do for a friend", Luz said with a very warm smile to Amity. Everyone else stayed quiet as those two looked at each other. Boscha wanted to scowl, but kept herself in check. There was clearly something going on between those two.  
"If what you said is true", Willow spoke up, looking at Boscha with a piercing gaze, "you have realized that bullying was wrong."  
Trying to keep up her act, Boscha looked at the dark haired girl she used to bully with what she assumed to be a sign of remorse.  
"Yes... A little too late, but I did. I am sorry, Willow."  
Inside of her, Boscha felt disgusted. She knew she was well above of the "Half-A-Witch-Willow", who was only somewhat good in plant magic, but nothing else. But she had to keep up the charade.  
"Willow, you gave me a second chance", Amity said. "You all did. I have been talking with Boscha a while now, and I know she is not the same witch as she was 4 years ago. Neither am I."  
"I believe in second chances", Luz said and raised her hand towards Boscha. "And I trust Amity. High five, Boscha!"  
"High five" was not a concept on the Boiling Isles before a few years ago – it was a human thing that Luz brought along with her. Even though it was not used rather often, Boscha had come to know what it was because some students of Hexside started using it. Even Amity did here and there.  
Boscha raised her hand for Luz to clap it.  
"Well then", Amity said and picked her bag from the floor, "I believe it is time for the carriage to arrive. I will see you guys tomorrow."  
Luz, Gus and Willow said their goodbyes to Amity, and even to Boscha, who followed Amity outside.


	3. The Sleepover At The Blight Manor

The Blight family carriage, moved by the spell of the servant who drove it, arrived at the gates of Hexside, right on time. It was made from enchanted wood, like every carriage used by high-class witches of the Boiling Isles, and secured with a roof and small glass windows, to protect the passengers from many annoyances the realm's weather had to offer – like acid rain or rocky hail. Amity greeted the older servant and offered her hand to help Boscha to take safe steps to rise up to the carriage. The three eyed witch tried to keep her cheeks from getting red when cherishing the attention she got from the young Blight.  
Blight Manor was located just outside of the town of Bonesborough, a few kilometers from the school of Hexside. The trip was not long, but ever since Odalia Blight had taken the lead in the Emperor's Coven and the residents of the Owl House had started to rally up witches all around the Boiling Isles, Amity's parents had insisted that their youngest daughter would always go to the school and back with the family carriage.  
And since the destination was not far, it was relatively soon when the servant knocked the carriage's roof. That was how they knew that they had arrived to the manor.  
Both girls jumped off the carriage, and Amity thanked the servant.  
"Well, here we are", she said. "Let's go inside."  
Blight Manor was a very impressive building – rising on top of a hill, the building of grey and purple stone gave a good contrast for shining windows with beautiful frames. There were well-kept plants and bushes around the house, with servants cutting them and keeping them in shape. If not royal enough already, a brown spire rose from the top of the manor roof, overlooking the lands filled with various trees and wildlife.  
Looking up to see the spire, Boscha got hit with a flashback – to time when she was little and her family had paid a visit to the Blights for the first time. 

She was just 7 years old that time, and the spire had taken her attention right from the start.  
"Now remember, Blights are a very powerful family, we want to be on our best behaviour", Boscha's father had said back then.  
"Their dwelling does not differ from any other place we have seen", Boscha's mother had scoffed. "Except for that spire. How tacky. They truly have to compensate for something, maybe they are not that powerful in magic than everyone says..."  
Boscha's father's loud "shhh" echoed in Boscha's memory. "Even if they are not, they are still powerful enough with their connections. We have to stay in good terms with them."  
And then they had introduced their daughter, Boscha, to the Blight family. Twins had scurried off, leaving Boscha and Amity to get acquainted. Amity had greeted the three eyed girl.  
"Hi! I'm Amity! What is your name?"  
"...Boscha. Hey, aren't you friends with that Willow girl?"  
"Yeah!" Amity had answered with a bright smile. "She is my best friend!"  
"And they say that she does not have any kind of magical ability", Boscha had said. "All in school know that." She paused to think what her mother had said right outside of the manor. "Do you have any magical talent either?"  
Something in that memory suddenly ringed differently to Boscha, when she remembered how Amity had acted. Back then she did not think twice of Amity wincing on her remark, but now she realized that must have been a sore spot, knowing her strict parents.  
"I do have magic!" Amity had defended herself.  
The 7-year-old Boscha had just laughed and walked off to her parents.

"Boscha?"  
The three eyed witch lowered her eyes from looking at the spire towering over the Blight Manor, to look at Amity.  
"You okay?" the green haired witch asked with concern.  
"Uh, yeah", Boscha answered, getting back to the very moment from her memories and giving a smile to Amity. "Do not worry, I did not get caught with more pain. I just remembered how I looked at that spire when I came here the first time."  
"First time..." Amity tried to search her memory. "Oh yeah. That time. You doubted my magical abilities."  
That hit the three eyed witch.  
"Uh.. yeah. Sorry about that. I must have not made very good first impression."  
"I have to admit, it did take a long time for me to start liking you", Amity replied with brutal honesty. The conversation earlier that day ringed in Boscha's head:  
_"They threatened to ruin Willow's life if I did not cut my ties with her. I tried to put her out of my mind, even followed your lead to bully her, but nothing felt right..."  
"So you pretended when we were friends?"  
"At the start, yes."_  
"...but what really matters is where we are now", Boscha heard Amity say. She was not sure if her friend had talked while she was stuck in trying to remember.  
So, Boscha just settled to smile and nod.  
"Definitely."  
Amity gestured to the front door.  
"Shall we go in?"

As the girls entered to the entryway, a woman with a long dark red gown with golden decorations in the neckline and long sleeves greeted them. Her regal outfit alone was enough to tell that she was the lady of the house, not to mention her golden eyes and the green hair similar to Amity's siblings giving away her identity as Amity's mother, Odalia Blight.  
"Amity, my dear! You are back early – I thought you were going to stay and study in the school library", she said, taking a few steps towards the front door.  
"Hello, mother", Amity said with neutral tone. "If I did, I would have used my scroll to tell the carriage driver to pick me up later. But my plans changed – and I brought a friend with me", she said, looking from her mother to Boscha. "You remember Boscha?"  
Boscha looked Amity's mother in the eyes.  
"Ah, yes, Boscha, of course I remember you. Good to see you again. How are your parents?" Odalia Blight said with a polite nod, a tone that was used by the elite families of Bonesborough to greet others of the same class.  
The three eyed witch did a small bow, something that was taught to her by her parents. An older witch had the advantage to be very discreet with their gestures, but it was the duty of the younger witch to either curtsy or bow.  
"It is nice to see you again, Mrs. Blight. My parents are doing rather well – their businesses are as good as ever."  
"At least this friend of yours has proper manners, as she always has", Amity's mother said to her daughter with a dry smile. "And this is when we see again that parents know best."  
Boscha saw from the corner of her eye how Amity went visibly uncomfortable, shifting her weight from one leg to another. She was not sure who Odalia had meant. Willow? Or Luz? She wanted to ask about that later.  
"Thank you for the compliment, etiquette and manners are the most important part of my family", Boscha said with a small bow. She knew that Odalia was quite similar to her own parents, and knew what to say to keep them content. "I was invited to your lovely home by my friend Amity, I hope that is fine with you, Mrs. Blight", she continued with her best formal voice, then giving an encouraging smile to Amity.  
"Yes, mother, I asked Boscha to stay over the night, I hope it is alright with you", the young Blight said to her mother. Boscha was pleased to see that her performance had taken Odalia's direct attention from her friend, letting her to ease up at least a bit.  
"Dear daughter, I always approve of Boscha and her family", Odalia Blight just replied and then turned around saying: "Just go to your room and do not disturb your father. He is working. And I will go to my workroom to deal with businesses of my own."  
Amity sighed with a relief and lead Boscha towards her own room.

When they reached Amity's room in the big manor, the young Blight opened the door and gestured her friend to go in. Boscha took a look to the spacious room while entering. She remembered being there 4 years ago when Amity had invited Boscha alongside their old school friends Skara, Amelia and Cat to a Moonlight Conjuring. They had held the ritual and the sleepover right there in Amity's room.  
The room had not changed much since then. Or that's how Boscha thought. The only things that possibly had changed were the bigger bed (Amity had grown taller since they were 14) and some of the decorating in the room. Last time Boscha had been in that room, there had been a big poster of Lilith Clawthorne on the wall next to Amity's bed, but now there was slightly darker spot where the poster used to be. Had there been fire?  
"I should put some kind of poster there, to hide that... that dark mark doesn't look good."  
Boscha looked to her side and realized that Amity had walked right next to her and had seen what the three eyed witch was looking at.  
"It is at least noticable", Boscha answered to her friend. "What happened to the wall?"  
"I kind of conjured a firebolt to destroy the poster on that wall..." Amity answered with a nervous chuckle.  
Boscha nodded. It made sense – she remembered the tales of how Lilith Clawthorne had threatened Luz the human's life. She wanted to make some kind of remark on how Amity had always had fire in her soul, when Amity continued:  
"I just had to get rid of that poster after what happened with Lilith and Luz", the young Blight said with a gloomy tone in her voice. "I am sure you have heard the stories. After the Owl Lady took Lilith to her place and they were officially rebels, both of them, they started to trust each other. But me and Luz, we had to take a long time before we were able to trust Lilith again... When the trust is broken, it is hard to regain..."  
Those words hit Boscha. She felt a sting in her heart, but the moment and hearing Amity rather sad made her want to cheer up the girl. She collected herself quickly and looked around.  
"Well then, we could find something to hide it", the magenta haired witch looked at her friend with a smile. "Do you have any ideas what you would want to hang on the wall?"  
Amity blinked a few times and answered the smile with her own. Even if it was a small half-smile.  
"I am not sure..."  
"Well, if my memory serves me right, you did have Azura posters few years ago – I remember you showing me those when you bought them from the book shop. What happened to those?"  
Amity looked at Boscha quite surprised for a second.  
"You remember a lot of things, Boscha... I am impressed", she said and Boscha saw her smile grow. "Those would be rather good to put up, but I am not sure where I put them... Oh! I think I stored them to the basement! They must be in one of the boxes."  
"Well, why don't we go get them?" Boscha encouraged her friend, moved her arm quickly and felt a sharp sting to the shoulder.  
"You need to rest!" Amity gasped, seeing the grimace on Boscha's face. The green haired witch almost forced her friend to sit down. "Is it just the shoulder or do you feel faint or anything?"  
"Just a pain spike to the shoulder, do not worry", Boscha said while holding her shoulder. "How long way is it to the basement?"  
"I will go there and be back in a moment", Amity said with a tone that told Boscha that she was not taking any objections. "You just wait here."  
After getting a nod from her friend, Amity dashed out from the room. Boscha watched her leave and then looked at the book shelf next to her, seeing that her old friend had quite versatile taste when it came to books – old school books, one massive book of the history of the Isles, all five Azura books and its spin-offs, two books about plants, one bigger book of oracle track and one about different realms.  
Boscha took the last mentioned book to her hands and checked out a few pages. Not much was known about different realms, maybe the most known different realm was the human realm, and it showed on the pages. Amity had made a few underlines in the big chapter focusing on humans, and it made Boscha's ears go red out of anger. Amity really showed a lot of interest in Luz.  
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. So lost in her thought, Boscha yelped and dropped the book out of her hands. She bent down to pick it up when the door opened.  
Odalia Blight stood on the doorway, looking at the young witch bent over a book on the floor. Boscha wanted to yelp again, but she just straightened her back and did a small bow.  
"Where is Amity?" Mrs. Blight just asked.  
"She went to the basement, she should be back in a moment", Boscha answered with a polite tone, going to put the book down on the table next to her.  
Odalia's eyes followed her movement.  
"What is that book? Yours?"  
"No madam, it is Amity's", Boscha said while placing the book on the table.  
Odalia walked over to the table next to Boscha.  
"'Guide to the realms'", she read the title and then opened the book. Boscha, while standing next to Odalia, could see from her expression that she had found the chapter about humans and seen the extensive use of underlining Amity had done. "I knew she was in speaking terms with that human, given you all go to the same school, but this... this is ridiculous. She hangs with a bad crowd."  
'Just wait until my plan succeeds', Boscha thought to herself. But to Odalia, she just nodded.  
"Not counting you, of course", Mrs. Blight said, earning another nod from Boscha. "I trust you to help her find the right circles again."  
"I would do anything I can for Amity's sake", Boscha said. "Us elite families have to cooperate against the common rabble."  
Odalia looked at the book for a moment, then raising her chin with a sharp, quick movement, like she had realized something. Closing the book and putting it to the table with a small thump, she turned to look at Boscha.  
"Excellently put, my dear. Say, have your parents picked you a spouse yet?"  
If it was any other place, anywhere else than in the Boiling Isles, this would have been a question that would have been considered to be out of the blue. But on the Boiling Isles, elite families did all they could to provide their children a spouse of good standing – or at least giving them options.  
Yet the question took Boscha partially by surprise. She only shook her head, looking at her friend's mother.  
"No, madam."  
Odalia kept her eyes on Boscha for a moment. She tapped her chin and let a small grin appear on her face.  
"I might have to have a talk with them... Your family is powerful and the most respected family on the Isles – after Blights, of course", she said. Boscha tried to keep her facial expressions to minimum, even when thinking what her parents would say of Odalia's statement. "It would make sense of us to join forces... Maybe we could arrange a ball where I could have a chat with your parents..."  
Boscha listened closely, having a vague idea where Odalia was getting at. But before Mrs. Blight was able to continue, door slammed open and Amity almost ran inside. She huffed like she had run. Was the basement really that far?  
"Mother? What are you doing here?" Amity asked, baffled.  
"I came to talk to you, my dear child, but Boscha told me you went elsewhere", Odalia said and looked at scrolls of paper in Amity's hands. "I hope you did not dirty your clothes in the basement... why you did not ask a servant to fetch you those? What are those anyway?"  
"Just some of my old posters", Amity answered and put the scrolls on her bed. "What did you want to talk to me about, mother?"  
"I came to inform you that I am going to go see Kikimora about important business, and your father has already left for the evening to take care of business", Odalia said and walked to the door. "That's it. I trust you and your siblings behave yourself."  
"Yes, mother", Amity answered like she was acting a script.  
"Oh, and Boscha, do greet your parents for me", Odalia said while resting her hand on the doorknob. She turned to look at the young witch and smiled. But it was a cold, calculating smile. "And do tell them what we spoke about. Now, I will be off."  
When the door went shut behind Odalia, Amity turned to look at Boscha.  
"What did you talk about?" the young Blight asked.  
"Oh, we just talked about how you and I are friends again, and she said something about arranging a ball party... I think she meant I need to deliver her invitation to my parents", Boscha answered quickly. Of course, it was just half of the truth, but it was easier for her to tell Amity something like that than a total lie.  
Amity sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed with burying her face in her hands.  
"A ball... I don't like them!"  
Boscha snickered. Not that she was especially fond of those formal dance parties either, but Amity's reactions to them had been the same as long as she had known her friend. And elite families tend to hold formal parties amongst the higher class of the Isles (which was not that many) at least once or twice a year, and everyone had to be there or have a very good explanation for their unavailability – or face social suicide.  
Everyone. Including the children. And on their best behaviour, no less. Considering how harsh were the parenting methods of the Blights and Boscha's family, Boscha was not surprised of Amity's reaction.  
"Fortunately those happen only once or twice a year", Boscha said and saw from Amity's facial expression that her statement did not help. "You found the posters, right?" she asked to get her friend's thoughts elsewhere.  
"Oh! Yeah, but I am not sure if they are big enough", Amity jolted up and unrolled one of them. "I remembered them being bigger..."  
Boscha's eyes bounced from the unrolled A4 sized poster of Azura and Hecate playing some kind of wacky version of Grudgby to the wall with the black-ish spot. She nodded.  
"It... it is rather small, yeah. Do you have anything else you could put up? Like a sports flag?"  
They had both been Grudgby captains, and Boscha herself had a Grudgby flag up on her wall, so it seemed like a good idea. But Amity's ears lowered with sadness.  
"No... I think I gave my only flag to Luz when she was so hyped about Grudgby..."  
Boscha's eyebrows lowered on the mention of the human. Luckily Amity did not notice – the young Blight tapped her chin and gazed at her closet.  
"Although..." she said but seemed to change her mind and shook her head. "No... that wouldn't be a good idea."  
"What?" Boscha asked.  
"Nothing."  
"You started your sentence, so you have to finish it too, Blight", Boscha said, encouraging her.  
Amity walked towards her closet and started to search it. With a slight blush, she took a big multicolored fabric out of its hiding. No, not fabric, a flag. A flag with a lot of stripes, consisting of different colors – pink, orange, white and red. Boscha looked at the flag without saying anything.  
"It... has a lot of colors", Boscha stated, not understanding the uneasiness in Amity's behaviour.  
"Once I gave my Grudgby flag to Luz, she gave me this flag – it is a flag from the human realm, from what Luz calls 'Pride'", Amity explained.  
Trying not to growl of the new mention of Luz, or more of the fact how warmly Amity said the human's name, Boscha tried to make sense of what Amity was saying.  
"Pride? Human pride?"  
"Not really... Luz explained that in the human realm, it is more common or more understandable to humans like of the opposite sex or stick with the gender they are born with... Thus those who do not feel their gender assigned in birth fits them or do not think of gender so traditionally or like the same sex are more repressed. And so they started a movement called Pride, made Pride flags and try to express themselves freely. That is what Luz told me." Amity took a moment of break after that explanation and she looked at the flag. "This flag is for lesbians – it is a term from the human world and means girls who like girls. Luz said that I could appreciate this flag."  
Boscha looked at her blushing friend and huffed.  
"Psh, we do not need those kinds of flags."  
It was true – on the Boiling Isles, it was usually not a big deal who you liked, or how you expressed yourself. In the realm of a lot of different beings from demons to witches, who you liked or how you thought about your gender was a trivial matter.  
But Amity frowned, and Boscha realized that she was caught belittling Luz.  
"Um, I mean, of course it is a nice gesture, but we are fortunate enough to live in a realm where we do not need those flags", Boscha tried. Amity's frown went away, and Boscha wanted to sigh of relief.  
"Yeah... but I keep it hidden, because it would raise questions from my mother", Amity said with her ears flopping downwards again. "You see", she continued when she saw a silent question on Boscha's face, "mother dislikes Luz like there is no tomorrow, and this flag screams the human world..."  
Boscha formed a silent "oh" on her lips and tried to hide her amusement that Amity would not hang the flag that would remind her of Luz every single moment.  
"Well then", the three eyed witch said and looked at the posters on Amity's bed, "time for plan C – do you think you could hang two posters side by side on the wall? It would be big enough then."  
That idea worked, and Amity seemed happier when the dark spot on the wall was covered with two of her favorite Azura posters – the one Amity had unrolled earlier, and one where Azura and Hecate stood side by side, combining their magic to create multicolored, almost rainbow colored, magic beam.  
After that, Amity asked one of the servants from the manor to deliver them food from the kitchen, and the two girls spent the rest of the day talking and watching the orb. The show they had talked about in school, the one that reminded Amity of Azura series, came from the orb in the evening, with two new episodes.  
They watched the orb closely together, shoulder to shoulder, as the orb was very small. And Amity was so excited, squealing of happiness whenever there was something happening that reminded her of the Azura universe. Boscha did not show her enthusiasm of the show but kept watching and glanced at Amity here and there, chuckling at her friend's happy sounds.  
As the ending credits rolled, Boscha let out a yawn she had been suppressing for some time. Amity looked at her.  
"Oh Titan, it is very late! And you must be exhausted! We should start sleeping."  
Boscha rubbed her left eye and looked as Amity walked to the door, called a servant and said a few words to them. Very soon the servant came in with an extra mattress, which Amity placed on the floor next to her bed.  
Once they had gotten bedsheets, pillows and a blanket for it, Boscha lied down.  
"I will wake you up twice during the night, as the witch in the infirmary recommended", Amity said from her own bed, looking down to Boscha. "So please do not bite", she joked.  
"I only do so upon a request", Boscha joked back. "Good night, Blight."  
"Good night, Boscha."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My headcanon is that the Boiling Isles do not have homophobia. In the land filled with magic and with different demons and other creatures, why would there be such a thing?
> 
> Also... I got Amity to get her gayness out of the closet. Sorry not sorry xD
> 
> I also headcanon that Blights have wealth and status enough to have many servants... cmon, the Manor itself is pretty big. I just wish we get to see it more from the inside when season 2 arrives - not just Amity's room.
> 
> And gosh. I cannot write Odalia Blight anyway else than being a calculating sociopath...
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it took me longer to update as I was sick and lots of IRL stuff, next chapter will be released faster!  
> If you liked it, please leave kudos and comments!


	4. Gaining Their Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Boscha had already gotten closer to Amity, the young Blight was the key to get closer to her friends aswell. In order for her plans to succeed, she needed to gain the trust of Luz, Gus and Willow, to show she had changed from the former bully she was all those years ago. And now, after her acted falling out with Skara and time spent with Amity, others were less hesitant of her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that I have a few days off again, I was able to go through this chapter again, to do a few tweaks and post it!  
> Thank you for all the kudos so far! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Merry Christmas!

Nothing out of ordinary happened during the night Boscha spent at the Blight Manor. Amity was true to her word and woke her friend up a few times, only to see that the three eyed witch was in good health, although a bit cranky due to waking up from the peaceful sleep.  
When Amity woke her up the third time, sun had already risen and the young Blight had asked a breakfast delivered to them. Boscha rubbed her eyes and saw her friend, already wearing her school uniform, moving to sit on a dark red armchair, to take a sip from her cup on a table next to her.  
Boscha sat up on the mattress, yawned and waited for a moment for her eyes to get used to the light.  
"Good morning", Amity said to her friend with a smile. "How are you feeling?"  
Boscha yawned again and groaned.  
"Same as many times you woke me up during the night, just okay... Kinda wanting to sleep more", she said and fell on her back on the mattress.  
Amity chuckled. It immediatelly made Boscha feel better, and the three eyed witch got back to sitting position.  
"I would want that too, but I'm afraid that we would be late from school", Amity said and gestured to the table next to her. "Do come eat. Then we gotta get ready for school."  
"Easy for you to say, you look like you are ready to head out", Boscha said with a grin. "Always such a little Miss Perfect."  
"And you as sarcastic as always", Amity chuckled at her.  
Boscha wore her uniform while Amity went through her school notes from yesterday. The three eyed witch had woken up enough, but still yawned when she sat down on another chair next to Amity's.  
"We should have skipped that second episode and go to sleep earlier", Amity said while watching her friend dig in to the sandwiches.  
"And make you miss the newest episodes of a show you like? No way", Boscha said between bites of her breakfast. "Besides, it was surprisingly interesting. And it was nice watching those episodes with you", she said with an almost unnoticable awkwardness in her tone.  
"You were good company", Amity smiled at her. Then she gasped. "And those twists! Harold scheming in the background with Hannah, Aaron rushing into danger... I never thought Cass would do anything that drastic!"  
"I know, and with Emily on her tow! I never saw it coming since episode 3 where they bickered after a same guy! Or when they had that fight few episodes later!" Boscha said with such an enthusiasm that Amity quirked an eyebrow.  
"Boscha... have you watched every episode?" the young Blight asked with a crooked smile, almost making Boscha choke while taking a sip from her tea. "I thought you had just stumbled on the show... I didn't take you for a fantasy fan."  
The three eyed witch dried her chin with a napkin and tried to look elsewhere.  
"Oh um uh... I might have watched a few first episodes..."  
"Boscha..."  
"Fine, I watched every episode", Boscha gave in and sighed. "I watched an episode and then another just to check if you would like it. And then, before I knew it, I got more invested into that show than I would have imagined."  
"See, just being honest is not so bad", Amity giggled at her. "You always have to act so tough – you did that since we were kids."  
"'Only tough survive', was what my parents told me", Boscha said with a low voice, looking at the tea in her cup while she stirred it. "So I sticked to that. It gave me a powerful reputation in school, my parents were pleased -"  
She went silent in the middle of a sentence when Amity placed a hand on her shoulder.  
"I was taught the same things at home, yet I realized that there is so much more than just acting tough", Amity said with a soft voice. "Being honest to yourself and the others, you can get so much more than with being mean and tough. When I met with Luz and reconnected with Willow, I truly saw it. They opened my eyes. And I think I might have helped you open yours", she said, making Boscha look at her friend in the eyes. Amity's golden eyes looked at her with a kind gaze. "Ever since we started to hang out again, you have showed you have a kind, honest side to you too. Let me help you to show you to stick on the better path."  
"Honest". Boscha felt a sting to her heart. She felt bad of her schemes while looking at Amity in the eyes, yet she did not want to turn her head away. Was there a chance she could gain Amity's heart by sincere, honest means? By the path Amity spoke about?

Suddenly Amity's bedroom door slammed open like a slitherbeast had smashed against it.  
"Mitteeeeens! Ready for schoooool!" Edric and Emira came into the room.  
"Learn to KNOCK!" Amity roared at her siblings and rushed towards the door.  
"Knock? Oh", Edric said, finally noticing Boscha. "Did we... interrupt something?" he asked with his teasing manner, making his younger sister go red.  
"I think we did", Emira stated, raising her eyebrow with a smirk.  
"Get out get out get out get out!" Amity growled and shoved the twins out of the door.  
"Whatever you say sis, we don't want to interrupt – just remember to go to school at some point during the day", Edric said and winked before Amity slammed the door shut.  
"Ed and Em haven't changed", Boscha chuckled. "They do this often?"  
Her friend's laugh picked up Amity's mood too.  
"Barge into my room without knocking. Yes. One more remark and I would have sped up their retreat by casting a firebolt."  
"How far would have they gone with their comments though?"  
"Trust me, they can go FAR", Amity answered while gathering her school books. "Ever since I became close with Luz, they teased me about her..." The young Blight's face went slightly red again.  
Again the mention of Luz. Boscha couldn't help herself – she sighed.  
"Oh but don't worry, they wouldn't really think there is anything going on with you and me, everyone knows we are just good friends", Amity said, misinterpreting her friend's reaction. It was like an anvil crashed on Boscha, that's how Amity's words felt.  
"Oh um... let's head to school, shall we?" the three eyed witch said instead, gathering herself.

There were familiar faces greeting Amity and Boscha once the two girls arrived to Hexside. Boscha spotted the figures of Luz, Willow and Gus standing by the front door when she opened the carriage door. She jumped off first and offered her hand for Amity so the young Blight could get down safe. Amity smiled at her friend for the gesture.  
"Well thank you, Boscha."  
"At your service, miss Blight", the three eyed witch said, exaggerating so they would know it was a joke, and gave a bow while doing so. Then she quickly added:"Listen, what would you think if we hanged out more often -"  
"Amityyyy!"  
Boscha's question got interrupted quite badly by Luz's shout. Not sure if Amity even heard the half of the question. Her eyebrows lowered as she saw Amity sprint towards her friends.  
"Hey guys!" Amity greeted her friends and got grabbed into a quick hug by Luz.  
"Everything went well?" Willow asked once Luz loosened her grip on the young Blight, looking at Boscha who was slowly approaching them. "Without... problems?"  
The three eyed witch tried to keep a friendly expression on her face and walked next to Amity. Willow had sounded rather tentative and suspicious of her, and she did not want to give the witch from Plant track any more reasons for that.  
"I kept an eye on Boscha, no symptoms of concussion and everything should be alright", Amity answered, and Boscha nodded.  
"That's great!" Luz said with her normal joyful tone. "I was getting worried that you would have injured yourself badly when defending us."  
"As a former Grudgby player, I have experienced worse", Boscha replied with a slight smile. "Though it would have been worth it, to make amends of my previous actions."  
Trying to act like that was a bit hard for Boscha, but when Amity gave her a smile, it made her feel better. It encouraged her to look at Amity's friends and asking with as polite voice as possible: "How are you all today?"  
"I am well, so excited of the Potions track lessons today!" Luz answered immediatelly. "Making a healing potion will be amazing!"  
"Just remember that first you have Plants track lessons", Willow chuckled.  
"And Illusions", Gus said.  
Luz took her schedule sheet from her bag and went through it.  
"First Plants, then Illusions, then lunch, then few Potions lessons", she listed with her fingers. She couldn't even contain her excitement, fidgeting with her hands and stepping about in her spot.  
Amity giggled.  
"Don't forget the last lesson."  
Luz checked the paper.  
"History! YES!"  
History class was usually for everyone, not just for one special track. And Boscha knew that Luz's friends were always sitting close together during the lesson – she usually sat quite near them aswell.  
"So I get to have classes with all of you", Luz beamed with excitement.  
The school bell screamed.  
"We better get inside", Willow stated.  
As they went through the main doors, they waved to each other and went their separate ways except for Willow and Luz. Willow followed the ever excited human.  
"Plants here we come!" Luz said, jumping towards the classroom.  
Amity couldn't suppress her giggle. Then she waved at Boscha with a smile.  
"See you at lunch!"

From the lunch time forward, Boscha was not alone at all. From the point she sat next to Amity on the lunch table, she was always accompanied by someone. Talking to Amity and her friends during lunch in order to slowly gain their trust, to bearing Luz's company when the human sat next to her in Potions classes.  
However, Luz's enthusiasm was contagious. Teacher's eyes were usually on them as Luz was raising her hand quite often to ask questions, that leading to the point that Boscha felt it easier to raise her hand as teacher asked questions. Some other students snickered that they were "the question duo", which kind of annoyed the three eyed witch, but Luz's amazement of Boscha knowing most of the answers felt rather good. It had been ages since anyone truly looked up to her.  
By the time they regrouped with Amity, Gus and Willow for the history lesson, Luz seemed to be rather in awe of the three eyed witch. They sat next to each other – some desks had room for three students, some for two, and Amity ended up sitting with Luz on her right side and Boscha on her left. Willow and Gus sat near them, on Luz's side.  
Boscha heard Luz whisper to Amity: "You were right, Boscha has changed! We had fun at the Potions classes!"  
"I told you so", Boscha heard Amity answer with amusement. Boscha tried to keep her facial expression neutral and make notes while she heard the young Blight continue: "I haven't praised her without a reason."  
The history teacher, who seemed accustomed to students talking with each other while he was lecturing, just raised his voice a little and continued telling about something called Slitherbeast Era. Boscha did not hear anymore what Amity and Luz were talking about, as the two girls lowered their voices even more when whispering to each other.  
As the school bell screamed to point the end of the lecture and the school day, Boscha barely heard the teacher's last words of the transition from Slitherbeast Era to Tooth Fairy Famine, and then felt a hand to tap her shoulder. She turned to look at Amity's smiling face.  
"Are you in a hurry to go home?"  
"Never when you ask, Blight", Boscha replied with a grin.  
"We are just going to stay at the school grounds for a moment before leaving. Do you want to join us?" her friend asked.  
As Boscha gave a hesitant nod, Amity dashed forward to catch up with Luz, Willow and Gus who had already left the classroom, grabbing Boscha's hand on the way. The three eyed witch was surprised, but followed her friend without any kind of resistance.

Apparently Amity and her friends usually spent some time together on the school grounds after the school – sometimes when Grudgby field was not in the use, they went there to hang out. Amity explained how she and Willow would do their homework assignments, while Luz and Gus would practice something called "football", a sport from human realm. They had picked up that hobby three years back when Luz's home sickness had gotten quite bad, and sometimes they would kick a ball with white and black spots at the Grudgby field. Outside of matches, the field's traps did not react to anyone stepping their foot on it.  
Today they found out that Grudgby field was in use. The junior team practiced the sport with some students watching them. Boscha spotted Skara on the bleachers, and so did her friends. It was not clear if it was because she saw Boscha with Luz and company or some other reason, but Skara looked at the three eyed witch with a frown. Just then Boscha realized that Amity had grabbed her arm in comfort.  
"Are you okay? Maybe we should go away", the young Blight said with concern.  
Luz looked at the direction of Skara and then turned to see her friends.  
"Let's go away."  
They nodded and turned to go back to the entrance of the school. Boscha gave one more look to Skara, who turned to talk to one student sitting next to her. Amity took Boscha's hand and guided her away.  
"What now?" Gus asked once their group walked in front of the school building.  
Luz swinged her arms around like she usually did, and placed them on top of her head while thinking.  
"Oh!" She clearly had an idea, and everyone turned to look at the human. "What if we go to the Owl House? Eda said I could bring friends home."  
"Who is 'we' in this equation?" Willow asked, raising her eyebrow. Amity nudged her with her elbow, trying to be unnoticable.  
Boscha, standing next to Amity, just looked at the group and gave a sigh.  
"I get it – you can go, I will head home."  
Luz raised her hands to stop the three eyed witch from leaving.  
"No, no, I meant all of us! Don't you want to join us, Boscha?"  
"Me?" Boscha faked a surprise. "Well... if you do not mind me tagging along..."  
"Of course not", Amity flashed a smile at her old friend, then looking at Willow. "Or do we?"  
"Well you chose to be with us than with Skara and others... and all the other things that have happened... so I guess you are one of us now", Willow reasoned. "I do not mind, I guess."  
"Then let's go!" Luz said with her trademark enthusiasm and started striding towards the Owl House.

As Boscha had survived half of the school day with Luz, she thought that she might be able to pull through some extra hours at the Owl House, sitting on comfy pillows in Luz's small room. But as it turned out, being around the human and two witches who had been vital to Amity to become a caring, empathetic young woman was not bad at all.  
Sure, Luz was acting over the top most of the time, like flailing her arms when getting excited and all that and Gus being rather similar in the field of enthusiasm but not as much as the human... but still, Boscha found out that she did not feel that annoyed by it.  
To balance those two, Willow and Amity were more relaxed. Willow was more preserved and very much on guard – most likely because she had a long history of being bullied, not to mention that both of her bullies were still constantly in her everyday life... Willow's caution towards Boscha had been so obvious, yet she showed signs that she was willing to give her former bully a second chance – just like she had given Amity.  
And Amity. Boscha did not find anything negative about the young Blight anyway if not for the fact that Amity and Luz obviously cared very deeply of each other. If Amity did not so clearly harbor deep feelings towards Luz, Boscha would have even tolerated the human around her. Once in a while, they would see how Luz and Amity would exchange slightly longer gazes, and when sitting next to each other, they would hold hands. Boscha would have sworn she saw Willow and Gus looking at the two of them with a knowing look, like there was no wondering about when the human and the Blight would look at each other.

As the evening got closer, their group had decided to do their homework together, share thoughts and ideas, as one of the assignments was from the history class. In the middle of a detailed observation Amity was voicing to them, taking similar traits from different Eras of the history of the Boiling Isles to bring to the Slitherbeast Era, the young Blight's concentration faltered as she received a scroll message.  
Scrolls were able to be rather loud when it came to message sounds, and this one sounded very urgent. Boscha, alongside others of their group, had heard the certain message sound before – it was Amity's dedicated sound alert to incoming messages from her mother.  
Boscha looked at Amity's nervous look turn to surprised and even more stressed in the course of a few seconds when the young Blight had taken the scroll and opened the message.  
"Problems?" she asked.  
"My.... my mom wants to see me. And you", Amity answered, looking at her three eyed friend.


	5. To Unite Two Families

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odalia Blight looked like she sat on a throne when she was seated in her luxurious chair with dark red silk cushions, and that she was - she handled the manor and its residents like it was her kingdom.
> 
> And now... she wanted to show off that power. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year 2021! As I am updating this on the New Years Day, I am planning to write this fic more often than I have done for some time now... I will try to keep it updated often!
> 
> And again, please leave kudos and comments if you find the fic entertaining! I would love to hear what you think about it!

"Me?" Boscha said, confused.  
"Yes, apparently my mother wants to see us both, though I don't know why", Amity said, still looking at her scroll. Suddenly her eyes widened – everyone in the living room of the Owl House saw it.  
"What is it, Amity?" Luz was the first one to ask. She put her hand on the young Blight's shoulder as a comforting gesture.  
"I... I might have informed our family's carriage driver that I went to study to the library with friends", Amity answered, still her eyes on the scroll. "And he told my mother. So, my mother informed me that she has sent the carriage to arrive to the Bonesborough library immediately..."  
Luz and Amity shared a look.  
"So... we could just go to the library? The carriage can wait?" Boscha asked.  
"It is not that simple... my mother does not approve of Luz", Amity turned to face her old friend, and Boscha could see that she was nervous. "She has pointed that out many times, using methods so extreme that... it is easier to lie. She does not know I have been seeing Luz."  
Suddenly Boscha remembered what Odalia Blight had told her the day before – "She hangs with a bad crowd". But this was not the time and place to tell her friend about that conversation. Instead she stood up and gave her hand for Amity to help her up.  
"Then we must get moving. Any suggestions?"  
"I guess we could try to run..."  
"I got it!" Everyone turned to look at Luz, who jumped up and ran out of the room. "Eda! Can I borrow Owlbert?"  
Her voice grew distant as she went to shout for Eda for a couple more times.  
"Oh for Titan's sake, soon you really have to concentrate to get your own palisman!" Eda's equally distant voice yelled, frustrated, like a mother telling that their kid should finally clean up their room to find anything. "But if it is really that urgent, just take it! This one time!"  
"Thank you, Eda! Guys! Come here! I got us a ride!"

Boscha wished she could have just run. Luz, Amity and Boscha had said their goodbyes to Gus and Willow, who had then started to walk back to their respective homes, and then Luz had taken the two girls for the ride. Owlbert was not used to carry more than two passengers, and thus the flight had been bumpy. Luz had shouted words of encouragement to the owl palisman and steered them through the forest, watching out for trees and branches while they flew towards the town of Bonesborough.  
The flight was not long, and the three girls made it to the library doors just in time before the Blight family carriage arrived. Once their feet touched the ground, Luz nodded to the two witches and ran out of sight (one of the things she had said to Owlbert on the way was that she promised to walk back once they would be at Bonesborough).  
"I cannot wait for my own palisman", Boscha said while they watched the carriage to arrive from the distance. "Then I wouldn't need to catch rides from others anymore."  
Amity chuckled and removed one small branch from Boscha's windswept hair.  
"Just admit you just want to be in charge."  
"Are you calling me bossy, Blight?" Boscha laughed.  
They shared a small laughter while the carriage stopped in front of them.

Travel to the Blight Manor was not much longer from Bonesborough than it was from the school of Hexside. Yet, once hopping into the carriage, the two girls travelled in silence, not knowing what to expect at the manor. Boscha wouldn't have minded talking, but Amity pursed her lips and was looking at her scroll, no doubt it was the message her mother had sent.  
As they arrived, one of the servants was already waiting by the front door.  
"Miss Blight, your mother is waiting. Please follow me."  
Amity and Boscha followed the servant to the second floor, into a room that had many fancy paintings on its walls and a few armchairs with red silk cushions. Behind a wooden desk, sat Odalia Blight in a dark wooden chair with a high back, with dark red silk cushions starting from the top of the backrest, going all the way to the hand rests. It was like she sat on a throne. Then again, she handled the manor and its residents like it was her kingdom.  
"Ah, Amity dear, you are finally here. And you brought Boscha with you! Splendid!"  
"How did you know she was with me?" Amity asked.  
"You messaged that you did not need the carriage today, and Headmaster Bump informed me that you had been seen leaving the school grounds with Boscha", Odalia Blight answered with a smug smile.  
Boscha saw that Amity stiffened. How often did Odalia keep contact with Bump?  
And if Bump had told Mrs. Blight that Amity had left with Boscha, he must have mentioned that...  
"I also know of your other companions", Odalia continued with polite tone with venomous underline. "I am disappointed in you both."  
"It is all up to me who I spend my time with", Amity spoke up. "I am free to do as I want, I am an adult!"  
"Adult? You are an insolent child!" Odalia said with a hint of a growl in her voice. "You know how Blights must act! To not associate ourselves with a common rabble! Young lady, we will speak of this later.... but that was not why I summoned you here. Boscha dear", she said, looking at her daughter's friend, "you must have not seen your parents yet, as you spent all your valuable time with our Amity... But I had the pleasure to meet your parents at the Emperor's Castle yesterday, and we had such a beneficial conversation..."  
"I hardly see them, as they are very busy with their work", Boscha nodded. "What was the conversation about?"  
"Why, we have found you a perfect spouse, of course", Odalia Blight said with a smug smile. "We are going to have a union of your family and ours!"  
"Ours?" Amity repeated, confused of the situation. "Who is going to marry her? Edric? Please don't say Emira, she has a girlfriend..."  
"I am aware of that Beast-keeping track girl", Odalia scoffed. "Your sister could have done better, but at least she is the daughter of a respected merchant in Bonesborough... But no. It is not your sister, NOR your brother."  
Amity took a wavering step backwards and then another, like she had seen something terrifying right in front of her. Boscha turned to look at her friend and saw from her eyes that they both knew what Odalia meant.  
"You cannot possibly mean..."  
Odalia stood up, her signature neutral, almost uncaring, look on her face.  
"Yes. Boscha's parents and I decided that two of you would be betrothed. It would be beneficial for both of our families to unite them."  
Amity's legs looked like they would give in, and Boscha acted quickly to take a hold of the young Blight before the girl would fall. She managed to do it in time, as in that same second, Amity did lose her footing.  
"Now don't make a scene, dear", Odalia said in her cold tone. "It is not like you have anyone else. And you can still pursue your goals to join the Emperor's Coven."  
Amity regained her balance with Boscha's help, and then turned to face her mother with a fierce gaze and a low growl in her voice.  
"That was the goal you put on me... An idea you put onto me since the young age. You ALWAYS want to push your own agendas on me. But you are wrong – I do have someone. And you cannot push the marriage on me anyway."  
"You have a duty as a Blight, and no small affair of yours can stand in the way of that responsibility." Odalia walked with determined manner towards the two girls, her eyebrows lowering, making her look menacing. It was like mother and daughter were having a stare contest of who could terrify the other first.  
Yet, Amity growled, showing her sharp corner teeth.  
"My RESPONSIBILITY is to my own life! And I intend to spend it with Luz!"  
Odalia stopped in her tracks. Boscha, now looking at Amity's back, looked at the young Blight with the same, slightly open-mouthed expression as Mrs. Blight. Neither of them had seen this coming.  
Or rather they both must have known of something that had been happening with Amity and Luz, yet for Amity to admit it out loud in the presence of her mother... That had been the real shock.  
"You foolish child", Odalia hissed. "I should have known your relation with the human would get the best of your judgement... Pardon my daughter, Boscha", she said while looking at the three eyed witch. "We will work this out and things will go as planned. I must ask you to leave now – I will have a CHAT with my daughter."  
Amity turned to look at her friend. Boscha would see a pleading look on her pale face.  
"You cannot possibly go along with this."  
Boscha took a step to get closer to her friend and took her hand.  
"Trust me, I only want you to be happy. We will find a way. But I must leave, I do not want to make things worse for you."  
She gave a bow and left the room, leaving Odalia to deal with her daughter. As she walked out of the manor doors, she let herself to smile. Everything was going right according to the plan.  
Almost everything. There was just one thing in the way...  
....and that was Luz.  
It was time to enact the plan.


	6. The Plan Enacted, Part 1: Getting rid of a couple of allies

Without wasting time, Boscha contacted Amelia and Skara, telling them to meet her at Titan's Brew after the sun had set. After sending the messages, she erased any trace of them in her scroll's memory.   
She took one more look at the Blight Manor overlooking the hill, and well aware that the sun was setting soon, she walked down the hill and towards the town of Bonesborough.  
She did not get any answers from her friends, not that she expected them to. She just had told them to meet her at the tavern, not to ask if they could make it.   
As pointed out earlier, no one would bat an eye for a Hexside student to walk into Titan's Brew – witches and other beings would just recognize the uniform and go on with their own business. That is exactly what happened when Boscha arrived at the tavern.  
"A decanter of apple blood", she simply stated to the bartender, throwing few coins to them and then walking to the corner table where she usually sat with Skara and the others.  
Amelia arrived first. Amity's cousin looked rather annoyed, frowning her eyebrows, but still gave a polite greeting.  
"I have to point out that your invitation was with a very short notice", she said while sitting down. "I had to find an excuse to slip myself out of work..."  
"Trust me, this is the only time you will ever have to be disturbed from work by my whim", Boscha said and was pleasantly surprised to see Skara hurrying to them. "There you are!"  
"You better have a good explanation why you dragged us here", Skara said with an angry huff. The bartender brought apple blood container and mugs to them. "At least you ordered. Good."  
Skara's negative approach almost threw Boscha out of her track, but she gestured her friends to help themselves with the drinks and then spoke up.  
"I have news about our plan. I have gotten closer to Amity and her friends. Skara and I did a small act in the school, and all thanks to it, now Amity trusts me – and so does Luz."  
"Must have been quite a show then", Amelia noted while drinking.  
"Quite a show indeed", Boscha said. "Luz has started to trust me, all because of Amity, and they are bound to bring that half-a-witch Willow to trust me too."  
"So... she does not believe you yet?" Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you first getting their full trust before we start the main act?"  
"Because the human must be disposed", the three eyed witch answered, anger boiling inside of her again. "Odalia and my parents decided that I and Amity should marry, but Amity announced her love towards the human. Before she and the human can thoroughly decide what they do to stop the engagement, Luz must be dealt with."  
A silence fell in the middle of them. No doubt both Amelia and Skara were surprised of the turn of events.  
"Any news of the portal in the castle?" Boscha asked, turning to look at Amelia.  
"Well, the Emperor has sent another scout through. The portal works, but those scouts seem to have issues getting back to our realm-"  
The green haired girl went quiet in the middle of her sentence as Boscha let out a laughter.  
"Even better... once she goes through, she has no way back", the three eyed witch cherished the new information, laughing maliciously while imagining Luz at the human realm, never able to return. "It will be perfect!"  
"Yes... but getting to the chamber will not be an easy feat", Amelia said. "Unless we tell a rumor that the portal is in that said chamber and the human would take the bait..."  
"We could send out a rumor that Emperor will soon destroy the remainers of the portal as it is not working", Skara thought. "I mean, we do know it works, but sending a rumor that would reach the Owl House... Luz would most likely rush to the castle.."  
"That sounds good, but that would lead all of her companions to join her", Boscha said dryly. "We do not want anyone to endanger the simple plan of getting rid of Luz."  
"What if first we distracted her little crew?" Amelia suggested. "While you all would be at Hexside, one of us could send a word to the Owl House that the Emperor's lackeys are at the Knee, that they have found the remains of the portal.."  
"...and while they are on their travel to the Knee, Luz would be led towards the castle", Boscha continued the thought. "That could work!"  
"I could send the message about the Knee to the Owl House on that designated day", Amelia said. "And making sure that no one is nearby the chamber in the castle."  
"So that leaves you to lure Luz in", Boscha said to Skara. "Are you up for it?"  
Skara nodded.  
"Good. It would be your job to send an anonymous message to Luz that Emperor is about to destroy the portal", Boscha continued. "It would have to imply that one witch could fly in unnoticed. I let you figure how you do it. As long as you do it."  
"When are we doing this?" Skara asked almost hesitantly.  
A wide grin spread on Boscha's face.   
"Tomorrow!"

The sun was rising above the Boiling Isles as Boscha strode towards Hexside the next morning. She was glad she had not ordered more than one decanter of apple blood for her and her companions, otherwise she would have had hangover symptoms when she had woken up. Steadfast in her steps, the three eyed witch made her way towards Hexside, already planning what to do.   
Her plan was simple – get rid of Willow and Gus in order to keep Luz and Amity to herself when the school day was about to finish. By that time, she would have gotten a message from Amelia that the inhabitants of the Owl House are on a wild goose chase somewhere by the Knee, and she would somehow get into Luz's head that they should hang out at the Owl House.   
And when they would arrive at the Owl House, Boscha would send a message to Skara, who in turn would send an anonymous message to Luz about the portal to the human realm. Luz would rush off, and the plan would be flawless.  
"Good morning, Boscha!" a bright voice greeted her.  
Boscha snapped out of her thoughts, just realizing she was almost at the Hexside gates, and Luz stood there just few meters away from her.  
"Morning", she replied neutrally.  
"Have you seen Amity yet?"  
"No... usually she is already at school before I arrive", Boscha answers.  
Luz looked restless and looked at the front door.  
"Maybe I should go check the locker area. I will be right back!"  
"Don't hurry on my behalf", Boscha said with a low voice no one, especially the human already running towards the school building, could hear.  
But as Luz hurried inside, a familiar noise of wheels moving on gravel-like road was heard not far from the front gate. Boscha turned to look and saw the Blight carriage arriving the scene.  
"Well this is something new, Little Miss Perfect not being on time to school", Boscha joked when the carriage had stopped and the door had opened. "Or, well, lessons haven't started but you are usually the first of us to arrive-"  
She stopped right there in the middle of her sentence as she saw Amity's tear-stained face. She extended her hand to help her friend, but Amity just jumped down and barely even looked at her.  
"Amity? What-"   
"Amityyyy! There you are! I already ran to check the locker area and no one had seen you!" Luz's voice yelled, and the human ran towards them. The excited tone and the way she moved changed to clear worry as she was able to see Amity's face. "Amity! What happened?"  
Luz rushed over and wrapped Amity in her embrace. And, right there, the young Blight just... broke.  
They just stood there, by the front gate, Amity, Luz and Boscha. No matter how many students walked past them, Amity cried in the arms of Luz, loud sobs to be heard far. Boscha stood right next to them, already guessing what had happened, to only get the confirmation when Amity had stopped crying and they had guided her to the edge of the forest, away from all the curious eyes.  
"Mother has arranged a marriage", Amity started, and Luz's eyes widened. "Apparently to unite the families. Mother spoke to Boscha's parents, and once they have agreed on the details, Boscha and I will be forced to..."   
Amity couldn't finish her sentence, but it wasn't needed. Luz turned sharply to look at Boscha.  
"Why didn't you say anything?"  
"I wanted to speak with Amity first", Boscha answered and tried to just concentrate on Amity, which was hard as the green haired girl was tightly in the embrace of the human. "Speaking of which... Amity, when I left your home, your mother wanted to speak with you... What did she want?" Boscha asked.  
Amity winced and buried her face in Luz's collarbone. Boscha and Luz were silent while Amity sobbed once again. Luz, genuinely worried of Amity, comforted her through the crying, and Boscha tried to concentrate to be patient while internally wanting to tear Luz away from the young Blight.  
"She... she said she would harm Luz if I don't cooperate... I tried to stand up to her but she reminded me of her status and her reach... and how she has kept me in check in the past."  
'Kept in check' was all Luz and Boscha both needed to know. Odalia Blight was known to use extreme methods to raise her children, and both girls knew what Amity and the twins had been experiencing. And for Odalia to remind her daughter about it... they both got the chills.  
"We will figure something out", Luz said, keeping Amity in a firm embrace.  
"Definitely", Boscha said with a nod. Well, not the way you would think of it, she thought and looked at the human from the corner of her eye.  
"Lessons are about to start, we still have time", Luz said and gently brushed away tears from Amity's face. "Can you make it? Or should we skip the first class?"  
"I can make it", Amity said and gave a weak smile to Luz. "At least we have the first lesson together."  
"History lessons, here we come", Luz smiled and kept a hold on Amity's hand. "Boscha, are you coming?"  
"Of course. After you."

Similar to last time they had history together, they would sit close to each other – Luz gently guided Amity to sit down, and Boscha sat on the other side, still her eyes on the young Blight who seemed so very fragile at the moment. She saw Willow and Gus sit on the other table next to Luz, seeing something was wrong but staying silent as Luz made a small gesture to the clock and swinging her index finger in a circle motion, like saying 'I will tell you later'.  
The history lesson was, for the most parts, quite uneventful – just the teacher talking in front of the class, and students were listening or not. This was one of the last lessons they would ever have, and it was mostly just repetition of something they had already learned, pretty much like the previous lesson had been. They would get some homework, yes, but most of them already knew these things by heart.  
As it did not require any of them anything else than just to sit and listen, Boscha went through her plan in her head, and trying to figure out how to do the first part of it – Willow and Gus had to be divided from the rest of them, otherwise their presence would jeopardize everything. They would have to stay away, preferably during the day, but at least at the end of it.  
But how?   
Imprisoning them? No. They would know she did it and immediately tell Amity, causing the girl to despise and hate her. Bribing them? The same outcome.   
Then it hit her. Detention. Headmaster Bump had redone the whole detention over the past few years, making the detention only to last for few weeks instead of whole semester. And it must have been drastic thing that got witches to be sent to the detention.  
When the school bell screamed, everyone followed Luz and Amity out of the classroom. Luz still held Amity's hand, and Amity was stable enough to give a short explanation to Gus and Willow about Odalia's plans.  
Compassionate as ever, Willow hugged her friend tightly, with Gus just patting Amity's shoulder.  
"Oh Titan... I knew your mother had her issues but this is going too far", Willow said and held Amity's shoulder. "We are here for you."  
"And we won't rest until we find a way out of this", Luz reassured Amity. "At least my next class is Abominations, so I am able to be with Amity a bit longer today. You guys should hurry to your classes."  
"Right. We will stay here a bit longer and then head to our classes", Willow said. Gus nodded.  
As Luz and Amity walked towards the Abomination classroom, Boscha excused herself, saying she would go to the Potions class.  
But what she really did, was to go outside of the school...

As Boscha walked through the hallway towards her classroom, she slipped into the bathroom and took a potion to her hand. She had made an invisibility potion the other day, knowing it would come handy in her plan, and took a few notes of spells from her belongings aswell. She drank the potion – and rushed towards the Grudgby field.  
There were few rules to the Grudgby at Hexside. Rule number one was to win, no matter what. Rule number two was to fix the field after the match - it usually goes through a lot of damage. And rule number three – no unauthorized matches.  
Few years ago, when Luz was a new face to Hexside, Willow, Luz and Amity stood up against Boscha, trying to stop her to bully Willow. They had challenged her to a Grudgby match (well, Luz challenged her originally, on the behalf of Willow) and then almost won. But it was unauthorized match, and players of both teams were scolded of it. Boscha was the star player and the captain, so she got off with a warning. Luz was new to Hexside, and left off with a warning aswell.  
But the rest of Boscha's teammates and Willow and Amity had received weeks of detention, held by vexed Headmaster Bump himself, and on the top of it all, Amity had gotten grounded at home.  
That was what would keep Willow and Gus out of Boscha's hair when she goes through the rest of her plan. Rushing out of the school building, she knew the invisibility potion would last her long enough so she could plant a few spells (literally) and do a few illusions along the way. She was not a part of any coven yet, so her spells were not limited to one school of magic, so she was able to get a huge amount of plants sprouting off the ground and illusions of Gus and Willow to jump around them. Her illusions were good enough to fool others of Hexside.  
Once the deed was done, she rushed back inside, to the same bathroom, and waited the potion to wear off.  
"Willow Park, Gus Porter, report to the Headmaster's office immediatelly", Bump's voice was heard from the loudspeakers when Boscha had sat in Potions class. 

"What happened to Willow and Gus? Have you heard of them?" Boscha asked Luz and Amity when seeing them at the lunch queue.   
"I haven't had a chance to talk to them yet", Luz answered. "We were hoping to catch up with them at the lunch..."  
"Hopefully they are alright", Boscha said, keeping up her worried face. Luz just nodded.  
"Oh", Amity said, making Boscha and Luz look at the direction she was looking at. "Willow and Gus are already at our usual table."  
Two friends were already seated, however not touching their lunches, as they were furiously talking with each other as Boscha, Luz and Amity approached them.  
"Bump blames us for wrecking Grudgby field", Gus growled. "We were nowhere near it!"  
"We were together until classes started", Willow explained further. "But inside the school building. Still, Bump insisted that many saw us at the Grudgby field."  
"We got detention", Gus sighed. "This is not doing good for my record."  
"It didn't do much good either when you dug those tunnels under the school", Willow reminded her friend with a smirk. Then she got serious again. "Someone was setting us up."  
"This just means we won't be able to hang out after the school for several weeks", Gus said, turning to Luz and others.   
"We have time after your detention weeks", Luz reassured, calming down Gus and Willow. "Just go to the detention, it is child's play after Bump redid it – and I have survived it many times! Just think, you can use the time to study or take it easy, don't let it get you down!"  
As their group calmed down and talked about their classes, Boscha raised an eyebrow to Luz.  
"You are a ray of positivity", she noted.  
Luz grinned, but couldn't reply as Amity put her fingers through the human's brown hair and said:  
"She is the rock and foundation of this group, our ray of light."  
As Luz blushed and grinned more and Willow and Gus gave their teasing smirks to the human and green haired witch, Boscha took her scroll underneath the table, undetected, and sent Amelia a message: "1".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have used my own reasoning for Grudgby field. But it worked!
> 
> Also... I feel sorry for Amity. I hate to make her go through so much, but it just fits... And I warn you - it will get worse for her. As you might guess from the Monte Cristo spin we are putting here.


	7. The Plan Enacted, Part 2: Fits like a skull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boscha's plan to get rid of Luz Noceda has started! She managed to do the phase 1, separating Willow and Gus from Luz and Amity, and now she has to plot herself in the company of the two girls and get them out of the school grounds. Time for the phase 2!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon me for taking so long with this, but every project of mine has been on hiatus due to work and other IRL projects. I am still working on this!  
> I will be writing more soon, and we are getting forward with the big events!

There were few parts to the plan – first Boscha would get rid of Willow and Gus (she had succeeded in that), then Amelia, receiving confirmation from Boscha that phase 1 was done, would send the residents of the Owl House an anonymous message that Emperor's witches were uncovering the remains of Eda's human realm portal at the Knee.  
And by the time Boscha, Luz and Amity were alone at the Owl House, Skara would send another anonymous message to them about the portal at the Emperor's Castle. In ideal case, Luz would rush off to the Castle, leaving Amity to wait for her, maybe with Boscha. Boscha would get a message from Skara later on, and she would rush off after Luz. To help, she would tell Amity – but in real, she would just help Skara to get the human to cross realms and get stuck in the human realm, with no way back.  
Relishing the thought of hopeless Luz succumbing to her fate to stay in the world without magic, Boscha grinned mischievously while mixing ingredients into a potion in the last class of the day. She put the last item into the flask, and the mixture went from yellow to red to bright orange.  
"Take a look at this! Excellent healing potion!" Potions teacher said with a loud voice, getting everyone to look at Boscha. "I am surprised if you do not join the Potions Coven. You have great skills."  
"I am all about keeping my options open", Boscha replied before school bell screamed.  
She was about to go rush to find Luz and Amity, but saw the two in the hallway just next to her classroom.  
"Boscha! Are you done with the day?" Luz yelled, waving at her.  
"Yeah, last class is done. How are you, Amity?"  
Amity, standing next to Luz, nodded with a neutral expression.  
"I am fine."  
Luz squeezed Amity's hand.  
"We can get through this. Should we head out? We could use a breather after the long day."  
"That is a good plan. And maybe we should try to find a solution what to do about our parents' arrangement", Boscha suggested.  
Amity looked around, like everyone's eyes were on her.  
"That could be a good idea, but not here. It was proven already that my mother has eyes even in the school. We should go somewhere where she does not spy on us."  
"There are not many places, I would imagine", Boscha said before Luz or Amity would say anything. "Owl House maybe, but not sure about other places..."  
"Well... I don't think Eda minds if we go to Owl House. The only one spying on us there is Hooty", Luz chuckled. "And not even Hooty wants to do that after Amity's attack..."  
"Amity's what now?"   
"Oh come on, it was one time!" Amity defended herself.  
"We had just started to be friends, and Amity was visiting me at the Owl House", Luz explained to confused Boscha. "Hooty came to disturb us, and Amity...."  
"Few kicks and punches never hurt anyone... much", Amity laughed. "Hooty deserved it."  
"That is what Eda said too", Luz grinned. "But ever since that, Hooty hasn't disturbed us that much. Especially when Amity is around."  
"So Owl House is the optimal place for us to go?"  
"Yeah", Luz nodded. "Let's go!"

Getting further away from the school grounds, Boscha noticed that Amity's calm exterior was only her way to cope through the school day. Luz and Amity told her that they had had separate classes since the morning, and from that Boscha gathered that Amity had forced to calm herself to go through the day without awkward questions. While they walked towards Luz's home, Amity would hold the human girl's hand like it was her lifeline.  
And visually wince if they brought up the engagement.  
"It is clear we cannot talk anything serious in the school anymore", Luz said with a serious expression on her face. "Now that we know Bump reports things to Amity's mom -"  
Amity shuddered just enough that Luz dropped her sentence and Boscha, walking on the other side of Amity, would notice it too. They stopped, and Amity took a few collected breaths.  
"I'm sorry" Luz said softly, noticing how fragile the young Blight still was.   
"No, it is okay", Amity said and sighed, fighting to keep herself calm. "I can deal with this. I need to deal with this. I am a Blight after all-"  
"No."  
Both Amity and Luz looked at Boscha, who kept her intensive gaze on Amity.  
"You can do this, yes... but you are not doing it as a Blight. You are doing it as Amity." Then the three eyed witch smiled. "And you are not alone, no matter what happens. We can get through this – together."  
"Yeah! We can figure this out!" Luz chimed in.  
"Screw the tradition", Amity said. "Let's continue!"   
Still holding Luz's hand with her own left hand, she grabbed Boscha's hand with her free hand and started moving towards the Owl House in the peaceful forest. Even though it was just the gesture of getting them to move more swiftly, Boscha kept her pace similar to Amity and Luz's and did not let go of the young Blight's hand.

Hooty was known to be rather difficult to deal with – difficult in what way, annoying or dangerous, really depended on how one would approach the infamous Owl House. To friends of Eda and Luz, Hooty was only annoying to the brim, babbling nonstop if one did not have strong enough voice to silence the house demon. And not to mention if someone left a window open – Hooty would bother anyone inside. At least, when the door was closed, it would not open the door without anyone wanting to enter or leave.  
As for dangerous – there was no debate on that. Anyone coming around with malicious intents would get to know how powerful Hooty was. No one knew how Hooty came to be in the first place, but everyone had heard stories of its power, how it would overpower every being that dared to come to challenge the Owl House and its residents. Or several – few years ago, Lilith Clawthorne, Eda's sister, tried to attack the Owl House several times with her troops from Emperor's Coven, and fail every single time.  
Yet, as powerful as Hooty was, to the friends of the Owl House, it did not mean any harm. That was the only way Amity could have given a beating to the house demon and not be sent flying from the house.  
As Luz arrived to the house with Amity and Boscha, Hooty merely greeted Luz and then stayed uncharacteristically quiet. Luz and Amity shared a glance and chuckled.  
"I tell you, he will remember that beating for years!" Luz laughed once Hooty closed the door behind them.  
"I don't mind", Amity said with a confident smirk. "You don't mess with Amity Blight without consequences. Plus it is nice and quiet this way..."  
Luz was about to say something, but then she spotted a bright yellow paper on the living room couch. She took it in her hands and sat down. When reading, her facial expression turned from smile to a shock.  
"What is it?" Amity asked with concern.  
"I... others are on their way to the Knee to find the pieces of Eda's portal..."  
"Portal? THE portal?" Amity sat down next to Luz, putting her hand on the human's shoulder. "I thought you destroyed it?"  
Boscha battled to keep down her grin and got seated on a simple wooden chair next to Luz and Amity.  
"What are you talking about?"  
Amity looked at her way.  
"Remember how Eda almost got petrified a few years ago? Luz confronted the Emperor, who wanted Eda's portal to the human realm – and she ended up destroying the portal."  
"Or that's what I thought I did", Luz added with confused, quiet voice, still looking at the note in her hand. "Lilith wrote this – they heard that Emperor's Coven had been seen at the Knee with the remains of the portal... so they left to investigate. 'Will be back soon, make food for King'. At least they did not bring King with them. The little rascal must be here somewhere."  
"That is how you talk about your ruler? Bow, you lowly creatures!" a squeaky voice bellowed from the stairs.  
Girls turned to look as a small wolf-like demon hurried towards them. Luz wrapped the little demon in her arms.  
"King! I missed you!"   
"You better show it by making me the greatest feast of all times!" the demon demanded, and as Luz stood up, it took the human's sitting spot.  
"Of course, I will make it right away", Luz patted King's head and looked at her friends. "Want something? Like to drink? I could... bring small glasses of apple blood?"  
"Sounds good", Boscha nodded.   
Luz grinned and hurried to the kitchen with King in her tow.  
Amity looked after the human disappear to the other room. She and Boscha stayed quiet for some time, until the witch with magenta hair looked at her friend. "So the stories are true – Eda possessed the portal where Luz came through?"  
"Luz found the portal and came to our realm not long before she came to Hexside for the first time", Amity confirmed. "Eda had the portal and took Luz in, and soon they became like a family. A family that only expanded with time – Eda... King... Lilith... me, I guess", she continued and then started blushing.  
"You?" Boscha asked with a one word.  
Amity gazed at the doorway to the kitchen and then sighed.  
"Well... now that mother knows, it is not much to hide anymore... me and Luz, we have been dating for a long time now. But when we are in a public place or with those who do not know of us, we keep a low profile. Or kept. Only because we did not want my mother to know."  
Boscha remembered all the lingering gazes and handholding between the two girls. She concentrated on her breathing, to keep the boiling rage of hers in check.  
"Willow and Gus know", Amity continued. "No one else. We were going to tell you too, now that you are one of us... but then the arranged marriage happened...."  
Amity looked like she would break again. Boscha placed her hand on the other girl's hand and squeezed it.  
"We will find a way to get through this. I promise."  
Amity gave a hint of a smile.  
"Even if it would be of going against your parents?"  
Boscha smirked.  
"I know how to deal with them. We can work around this."  
Amity didn't get to reply – clinking sounds of glasses told them that Luz was coming back. Amity withdrew her hand when Luz appeared from the kitchen with a tray and 3 glasses of apple blood.  
"I'm back! King has finally gotten his snack, and I brought drinks! Sooooo", Luz hops to sit next to Amity, "what did I miss?"  
"Just told Boscha about you and me", Amity answered and smiled as Luz put her arm around the witch's shoulder. "Hope you don't mind."  
"I guess the cat is out of the bag anyway", Luz replied. "Oh. It is a saying from my world", she continued as she saw Boscha raising her eyebrows.  
Amity giggled.  
"I have heard so many odd human sayings from Luz... You should hear more of them, Boscha."  
"Says a witch who has used a term 'fits like a skull'! At least humans use sayings that make sense!"  
"It makes sense! It is about specific kind of dog demons that need a skull to protect their heads when they are pups, and the skull will grow on them while they get older! How a cat in a bag makes sense?"  
"Wow. I guess the skull saying really makes sense!"  
"Like I told you! What about the cat then?"  
"It makes sense too! I think it originated when long ago some merchants were selling pigs..."  
Boscha listened to the conversation, looking at them both, and pretended to just go through her schoolbag. She did not hear Luz's explanation while she, hands in the bag, used her scroll and sent Skara a simple message: "2."


End file.
